Iowa football 2023 early opponent preview: Rutgers

IOWA CITY — The Big Ten era of Rutgers football has not been pretty.

The Scarlet Knights have gone 13-66 against Big Ten foes since joining the conference in 2014, which translates to a paltry .165 winning percentage. They have finished with losing overall records in eight consecutive seasons.

So it’s no surprise outside expectations are again low for Rutgers in 2023.

ESPN’s Football Power Index has given Rutgers a 12.8 percent chance of winning six games. The only Big Ten team with a lower probability of a six-win season is Indiana, which has a 10.7 percent chance.

Rutgers’ two top quarterbacks — Gavin Wimsatt and Evan Simon — are returning in 2023 after subpar 2022 seasons.

Wimsatt completed 44.8 percent of his passes and had five touchdowns versus seven interceptions. Simon, meanwhile, completed 57.7 percent of his passes while throwing four touchdowns and six interceptions.

Running back Samuel Brown V averaged 4.3 yards per carry in seven games as a true freshman before suffering a season-ending injury.

Defensively, Rutgers has some work to do after ranking last in red zone defense and close to last in several other key stats. The Scarlet Knights have the benefit of some experienced players returning, including cornerbacks Max Melton and Robert Longerbeam and linebacker Deion Jennings.

Jennings had a team-high 8.5 tackles for loss last year.

The timing of Rutgers’ Nov. 11 trip to Kinnick Stadium will not be ideal for Greg Schiano’s group.

It will be the second leg of what could be a brutal three-game stretch. Following an Oct. 28 bye, Rutgers plays Ohio State, Iowa and Penn State in consecutive weeks. All three could be in the conversation for a Big Ten championship berth.

Iowa vs. Rutgers: 3 things to watch

• Does Gavin Wimsatt improve (and if so, by how much)? If Wimsatt has another 2022-esque season, Rutgers’ Nov. 11 game at Iowa might not be competitive for long.
• Rutgers’ cornerbacks vs. Iowa’s wide receivers. The Scarlet Knights were 4-2 last year when they had at least one interception. When they did not have a pick, they were 0-6.
• Another battle of Australia-born punters is looming. Ray Guy Award winner Adam Korsak is gone, but Iowa’s Tory Taylor still will be facing off against another Aussie punter, Flynn Appleby.

2023 prognosis

Rutgers is the only Big Ten team to have never defeated the Hawkeyes, and that seems unlikely to change this year.